Testaccio, Rome

A taste of Testaccio

Bring your appetite to this food-centric Roman experience, where you can expect tasty samples of cheeses, pizzas, olive oils and more. You’ll start with a chat over coffee before exploring the neighbourhood and then, between tastings and photo ops, you’ll learn all about the history of Roman cuisine, cucina povera and the connection between market-fresh produce and Italian cooking traditions.

Your insider

Gina Tringali and Eleonora Baldwin

Culinary connoisseurs

Born into an Italian-American family, Gina packed up and moved to Rome in 2007 to earn her sommelier certification and a master’s degree in the history of Italian food and wine. Now a food and travel writer, Gina’s also worked as a culinary guide and tourism consultant. American-born and Italian-raised Eleonora is a TV host and journalist based in Rome. Her show ‘ABCheese’ is broadcast on Italian food network Gambero Rosso and she focuses on slow travel and Italy’s culinary culture in her blog ‘Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino’.

You’ll start with authentic Italian coffee and a chat at a local pasticceria before moving on to a gourmet grocery store and learning about the history of Roman shopping. On the way to one of the city’s most famous markets, you’ll learn about the history of Testaccio, one of Rome’s original working-class neighbourhoods. Wander past hill-top restaurants built on top of ancient amphorae – the clay jars used for olive oil and wine – and learn how to do market day like a local. You’ll sample traditional local fare, fresh ingredients and sweet treats as you wind your way through the marketplace.